Getty Vernon Davis at the Richmond Raceway on April 2, 2023.
How energizing is the Javon Hargrave $84 million signing for the San Francisco 49ers? Especially with the NFC champion interior defensive lineman ready to soon begin his first training camp with his new team as part of his blockbuster four-year deal?
Even former 49ers who thrived on the other side of the football are energized about the move.
Count former Niners tight end Vernon Davis as one who can’t wait to see “Gravedigger” in action in the Bay. The two-time Pro Bowl tight end spoke exclusively with Heavy about the huge $80 million move his former team made to bring in, arguably, the league’s best defensive tackle free agent option for 2023.
“I think it’s great that they signed him,” Davis said to Heavy. “I think it’s really going to open up the defense.”
As Davis noticed, the edge rusher room starting with Nick Bosa wrecked havoc first to set the tone. However, injuries inside forced the Niners to plug natural defensive ends like Arik Armstead, Charles Omenihu and even undersized ones like Jordan Willis and Kerry Hyder Jr. to be plugged on the interior.
But now, luring Hargrave in, Davis explains, will finally ease things for the book ends from Bosa to even Armstead.
“It’s going to take some pressure off the edge guys,” Davis said. “And it’s going to add to ‘offense wins games, defense wins championships.'”
Hargrave Scoffs at Newly Released Rating
Perhaps “Gravedigger” will have some added motivation once he steps inside Santa Clara for the first time in his career during the week of July 24.
It’s courtesy of the video game world.
As Madden 2024 ratings for each player were released for the week of July 17, Hargrave clearly wasn’t too thrilled about his 84 score — prompting him to post this on his Twitter page:
Interestingly, the Madden ratings has Indianapolis Colts interior defensive lineman Grover Stewart ranked ahead of him. Stewart, who has been in the league since 2017, has 8.5 career sacks. Hargrave delivered 11 sacks — all last season with Philly.
Even Stewart’s fellow Colts teammate and Ex-49ers star DeForest Buckner ranked higher than Hargrave, as he settled for 13th overall.
Davis’ Entertainment Endeavors
Davis took a break from his new schedule to speak with Heavy — as the tight end who went No. 6 overall in the 2006 NFL Draft is now taking up acting and putting out music.
The two-time Pro Bowler in the 2009 and 2013 season recently took on a villain role as a serial killer in the film “The Ritual Killer,” which saw Davis co-star with Cole Hauser and Academy Award winning actor Morgan Freeman.
Davis additionally starred opposite of another longtime leading man in Hollywood in Bruce Willis, as the two starred in the 2022 movie “A Day to Die.” The film was one of Willis’s last works before being diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (also known as FTD) in February 2023.
The 39-year-old Davis additionally has worked with a marquee name in the Hip-Hop world: Atlanta hit record producer Zaytoven, who has worked with Hip-Hop and R&B stars from Usher to Future to city rap legend Gucci Mane. Davis also has a music video out with his producer Tone P called “Bounce Like Dis” which features scenes filmed at FedEx Field in Washington D.C.
Lastly, Davis made an appearance at the 2023 ESPY’s held in the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles.